CORRECTED-Golf-South Africa to host Tournament of Hope in 2013

Feb 10 (Reuters) - The inaugural Tournament of Hope,

widely proclaimed as the richest single event in golf, will be

held in South Africa late next year, the International

Federation of PGA Tours said on Friday.

To be played from Nov. 28-Dec. 1, the $8.5 million

tournament will become the sixth elite event to be sanctioned by

the world's leading tours and will help raise awareness of

HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Like the four individual World Golf Championships (WGC)

events which are widely regarded as one rung down from the

majors, it will bring together the best players in the world

based mainly on the official rankings.

"In addition to the Tournament of Hope, the promoters will

organise other awareness functions in South Africa and around

the world during the week of the tournament," the International

Federation of PGA Tours said in a statement.

The 2013 edition will end on World AIDS Day and the

tournament will be staged on similar dates in future years.

Three of the individual WGC events are held in the United

States, the Accenture Match Play Championship, the Cadillac

Championship and the Bridgestone Invitational, while the HSBC

Champions is staged in China.

The Tournament of Hope was first announced by Sunshine Tour

commissioner Gareth Tindall last April when he described it as

offering "the biggest prize money in professional golf".

No date was mentioned at the time, though Tindall hoped the

inaugural event could be held at the end of 2012.

The Tournament of Hope will join the four individual WGC

events and the World Cup team competition, which is staged in

China, under the umbrella of the International Federation of PGA

Tours.